As the nation celebrates Black History Month, longtime civil rights activist Minnijean Brown Trickey will make a special appearance in Indianapolis.
Trickey is scheduled to speak Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. at the Orchard School, 615 W. 64th St. She will appear as the first in a series of guest speakers being presented by the school’s Dignity Center.
“We feel very honored that she’s able to join and we invite our community to be a part of this historical event,” said Deb Thornburgh, coordinator of the visit and director of the Dignity Center at the school, which is a private and independent non-sectarian school for students in preschool through grade eight.
Trickey is famous as one of the Little Rock Nine, a group of African-American students who generated national headlines in 1957 when they integrated the all white Central High School in Little Rock, Ark.
The students’ plight became one of the most pivotal moments of the civil rights movement as they braved taunts and violent threats from white students as well as the presence of armed National Guard soldiers.
The soldiers had originally been sent by then Gov. Orval Faubus to keep the Black students out of the school, but President Dwight Eisenhower placed them under federal jurisdiction so that they would protect the students.
Trickey, who was 16 at the time and still lives in Arkansas, was inspired to embark on a career as a civil rights advocate. President Bill Clinton later appointed her as assistant secretary of the Department of Interior, responsible for diversity programs.
She continues to travel the country as a motivational speaker and will soon release her autobiography titled Mixed Blessing: Living Black in North America. She has received a U.S. Congressional Medal of Honor as well as the NAACP’s Spingarn Medal.
Recently she participated in a march commemorating the life of Martin Luther King Jr. at Grand Rapids Community College in Michigan. She encouraged students to remember that the simple acts of ordinary people can make a big difference.
“I think that maybe you thought all we were doing was marching in the snow today,” she told them. “But, in fact, it is those small acts on the part of ordinary people that make a difference.”
Thornburgh said Orchard School officials agreed that Trickey’s visit would be a great way to kick off a lecture series for the Dignity Center, an initiative which serves as a vehicle for learning and understanding about the worth of self and others. It has also become a lighthouse for innovative approaches to prepare students for a competitive, knowledge-driven, global society.
“Her visit fits in with part of our mission statement, which is to not only promote a diverse community within our school but also to teach our children that they need to understand the experiences and perspectives of people both like themselves and unlike themselves,” said Thornburgh. “It is important for our community to appreciate where we’ve been as a country, where we’re at today and how much progress we still have to make.”
This event is free but advance tickets are required. Tickets are available at the following locations: The Orchard School, Big Hat Books, Global Gifts (both locations) and the Indianapolis Urban League. Seating is limited. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. For more information call (317) 254-8454.
